Lokasenna
The Additional Task
On her second day of being Loki's guard Sigyn woke up earlier than most of the other girls. Quietly, so as not to wake anyone, she gathered her clothes and made her way to the bathroom. There she stripped off her nightgown and took place in one of the copper bath tubs, submerging herself before sitting up. The water was warm, heated by a small fire underneath the tub. After washing, she dressed in her uniform, tried to weave her long dark curls into a plaid and finally left to make her way to the prison.
After a quick visit to the kitchens to fetch breakfast for Loki and herself she descended the stairs to the dungeons, trading in the beautiful high-ceilinged hallways where the early morning sunshine already poured through the windows for the torch-lit corridors of the prison.
Loki was awake. He was sitting at the little table, reading the book Frigga had given him. Sig wondered if he had slept at all.
He looked up when she entered and put the book down when she approached him with his breakfast. She put the plate in front of him on the table. 'Thank you.' he said. Then he added: 'I would like to have a bath, if I'm allowed.'
Sig looked at him in surprise, catching his gaze for a moment, then quickly looked down again. Startled, she gave a little bow and hurried out of his cell.
'My lady, your son.. requests to have a bath.'
Frigga seemed to think for a moment. 'He may do so,' she said, 'but make him wear these.' she retrieved a pair of thin iron bracelets from a case she took from a cupboard. 'If he wears these, he won't be able to use magic to escape. I will show you how they work.'
When Sig came back Loki had finished his breakfast. 'Well? Did my dear mother grant my request?'
Sig nodded. She did not know how to tell him she had to fasten the bracelets without speaking to him. And she was still a little frightened to come near him. 'Good…' he said and he got up from the chair and walked over to her. 'I take it you will escort me?'
She nodded again, turning to him and held up the bracelets. 'I see,' he said and extended his hands to her, the palms facing up. She could feel him smirking, while she clumsily tried to fit the first bracelet around his wrist. It closed on her touch, and would only open on her touch again. The second one went slightly faster. When she was done she turned to the window of the cell, but then she remembered that only she could enter and exit through the glass.
A little sheepishly, she turned her head to him, unsure of what to do. 'Ah yes,' he said, apparently comprehending her hesitation, 'the barrier. I think I know how to solve this.' Without warning, he grabbed her by her sleeve and pulled her along through the glass. Amazed that he was still alive, she looked at him when they were on the other side. 'It lets you through, but if someone touches you they share your protection.' he explained, seeing her puzzled look. She quickly fixed her gaze on the way ahead and started walking, Loki following meekly.
Sig led him to a door a few corridors away from the prison. They were still in the dungeons, still surrounded by torches. Behind the door was a small bathroom, a copper tub like the one Sig had used that morning stood in the middle. She left Loki at the door, checking if the water was warm enough. It seemed that the fire had died overnight, she would have to rekindle it. While she started on this, Loki crossed the room to a basin with water on a table to wash his face. He leaned over the basin for a moment, gripping the edges of the table. As if deep in thought he dipped one hand in the water again, then passed it over his face.
'How's that fire going?' he asked, turning around slowly to watch Sig. She didn't answer. He looked at her, leaning against the table with his arms folded. 'You know,' he began softly, 'If you let me take these off…' he tugged at one of the bracelets. 'I could help that fire along a little faster.' Sig tried to ignore him.
'Do you know the legend of the fire giant Loge?' he asked. When she didn't answer he continued: 'It is said that the two brothers Laufey and Loge, masters of ice and fire, would one day roam over the nine worlds, burning and freezing all that they encounter. It is said that they, along with all the other Jotuns will bring forth the end of the world. And with it they will bring an end to the reign of the gods too…' he stared into space, as if suddenly mesmerised. Then he cleared his throat and added, almost as if to himself: 'Well, Laufey is dead now. At my hands. So I suppose the legend was not true after all.'
Sig had finally managed to light an adequate fire and stepped away from the tub. When looking around the room she noticed there were no towels. She curtseyed swiftly and left him, locking the door from outside. Her dress hoisted up, she ran down the corridor to fetch a towel from the servants' quarters.
A little out of breath, she returned a little less than ten minutes later and unlocked the door to let herself in. When she walked in, Loki was just removing his shirt and she caught a glimpse of his bare, slender frame. Quickly she averted her eyes. She had never seen a naked man before, with the exception of some paintings and pictures in books. She did not dislike the sight, however, but it was improper to keep looking. And she did not want him to see her stare.
He had noticed, although Sig was not aware of this. Smirking a little, he walked over to her. Sig, who had had her eyes fixed on the towel in her hand, did not notice him approaching until she heard him speak. 'Thank you.' Involuntarily, her head jerked upwards and they looked at each other for a moment. He was uncomfortably close. His hand grazed hers when he took the towel from her. Sig then quickly turned around, left the room and closed the door behind her. A little flustered, she smoothed out some wrinkles in her dress before leaning against the wall while letting out a shivering sigh. She would have to be more careful the next time Loki wanted to have a bath. It was hard to contain herself when he was so close to her, especially when he was only half dressed. She felt a little embarrassed; she did not know whether she was so uncomfortable because he was a murderer and a traitor or because she secretly thought he was fearfully handsome…
She waited outside for roughly thirty minutes, then knocked on the door. 'Come in,' his voice sounded from the other side.
Her eyes on the floor, Sig shuffled inside. When she dared to look up she saw he was already dressed and drying his hair on the towel. She waited for him to finish, then accompanied him back to his cell. He turned to her when they had passed through the glass and held out his hands. Sig placed one hand on his wrist and let the other slide over the metal. It clicked and the lock opened. She hardly dared to look at him, not with the image of his half-naked body still fresh in her mind. She was scared that if he looked her in the eyes, he might find out she was still thinking about it. She unlocked the other bracelet and hurried out of his cell without so much as a glance back.
After a quick visit to the kitchens to fetch breakfast for Loki and herself she descended the stairs to the dungeons, trading in the beautiful high-ceilinged hallways where the early morning sunshine already poured through the windows for the torch-lit corridors of the prison.
Loki was awake. He was sitting at the little table, reading the book Frigga had given him. Sig wondered if he had slept at all.
He looked up when she entered and put the book down when she approached him with his breakfast. She put the plate in front of him on the table. 'Thank you.' he said. Then he added: 'I would like to have a bath, if I'm allowed.'
Sig looked at him in surprise, catching his gaze for a moment, then quickly looked down again. Startled, she gave a little bow and hurried out of his cell.
'My lady, your son.. requests to have a bath.'
Frigga seemed to think for a moment. 'He may do so,' she said, 'but make him wear these.' she retrieved a pair of thin iron bracelets from a case she took from a cupboard. 'If he wears these, he won't be able to use magic to escape. I will show you how they work.'
When Sig came back Loki had finished his breakfast. 'Well? Did my dear mother grant my request?'
Sig nodded. She did not know how to tell him she had to fasten the bracelets without speaking to him. And she was still a little frightened to come near him. 'Good…' he said and he got up from the chair and walked over to her. 'I take it you will escort me?'
She nodded again, turning to him and held up the bracelets. 'I see,' he said and extended his hands to her, the palms facing up. She could feel him smirking, while she clumsily tried to fit the first bracelet around his wrist. It closed on her touch, and would only open on her touch again. The second one went slightly faster. When she was done she turned to the window of the cell, but then she remembered that only she could enter and exit through the glass.
A little sheepishly, she turned her head to him, unsure of what to do. 'Ah yes,' he said, apparently comprehending her hesitation, 'the barrier. I think I know how to solve this.' Without warning, he grabbed her by her sleeve and pulled her along through the glass. Amazed that he was still alive, she looked at him when they were on the other side. 'It lets you through, but if someone touches you they share your protection.' he explained, seeing her puzzled look. She quickly fixed her gaze on the way ahead and started walking, Loki following meekly.
Sig led him to a door a few corridors away from the prison. They were still in the dungeons, still surrounded by torches. Behind the door was a small bathroom, a copper tub like the one Sig had used that morning stood in the middle. She left Loki at the door, checking if the water was warm enough. It seemed that the fire had died overnight, she would have to rekindle it. While she started on this, Loki crossed the room to a basin with water on a table to wash his face. He leaned over the basin for a moment, gripping the edges of the table. As if deep in thought he dipped one hand in the water again, then passed it over his face.
'How's that fire going?' he asked, turning around slowly to watch Sig. She didn't answer. He looked at her, leaning against the table with his arms folded. 'You know,' he began softly, 'If you let me take these off…' he tugged at one of the bracelets. 'I could help that fire along a little faster.' Sig tried to ignore him.
'Do you know the legend of the fire giant Loge?' he asked. When she didn't answer he continued: 'It is said that the two brothers Laufey and Loge, masters of ice and fire, would one day roam over the nine worlds, burning and freezing all that they encounter. It is said that they, along with all the other Jotuns will bring forth the end of the world. And with it they will bring an end to the reign of the gods too…' he stared into space, as if suddenly mesmerised. Then he cleared his throat and added, almost as if to himself: 'Well, Laufey is dead now. At my hands. So I suppose the legend was not true after all.'
Sig had finally managed to light an adequate fire and stepped away from the tub. When looking around the room she noticed there were no towels. She curtseyed swiftly and left him, locking the door from outside. Her dress hoisted up, she ran down the corridor to fetch a towel from the servants' quarters.
A little out of breath, she returned a little less than ten minutes later and unlocked the door to let herself in. When she walked in, Loki was just removing his shirt and she caught a glimpse of his bare, slender frame. Quickly she averted her eyes. She had never seen a naked man before, with the exception of some paintings and pictures in books. She did not dislike the sight, however, but it was improper to keep looking. And she did not want him to see her stare.
He had noticed, although Sig was not aware of this. Smirking a little, he walked over to her. Sig, who had had her eyes fixed on the towel in her hand, did not notice him approaching until she heard him speak. 'Thank you.' Involuntarily, her head jerked upwards and they looked at each other for a moment. He was uncomfortably close. His hand grazed hers when he took the towel from her. Sig then quickly turned around, left the room and closed the door behind her. A little flustered, she smoothed out some wrinkles in her dress before leaning against the wall while letting out a shivering sigh. She would have to be more careful the next time Loki wanted to have a bath. It was hard to contain herself when he was so close to her, especially when he was only half dressed. She felt a little embarrassed; she did not know whether she was so uncomfortable because he was a murderer and a traitor or because she secretly thought he was fearfully handsome…
She waited outside for roughly thirty minutes, then knocked on the door. 'Come in,' his voice sounded from the other side.
Her eyes on the floor, Sig shuffled inside. When she dared to look up she saw he was already dressed and drying his hair on the towel. She waited for him to finish, then accompanied him back to his cell. He turned to her when they had passed through the glass and held out his hands. Sig placed one hand on his wrist and let the other slide over the metal. It clicked and the lock opened. She hardly dared to look at him, not with the image of his half-naked body still fresh in her mind. She was scared that if he looked her in the eyes, he might find out she was still thinking about it. She unlocked the other bracelet and hurried out of his cell without so much as a glance back.